Rotary multiple punching press



52 J. PRATURLON ROTARY MULTIPLE PUNCHING PRESS Nav. 2', 1

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1949 Nov. 25, 1952 J. PRATURLON 2,619,177

ROTARY MULTIPLE PUNCHING PRESS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 25, 1952 PRATURLON 2,619,177

ROTARY MULTIPLE PUNCHING PRESS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 F167 I E 9 E Fieib.

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73mph 7 m Zu r/on M- W Patented Nov. 25, 1952 Application December 5, 1949,. Serial;No.:131,- 153 In France Deoember'24, .1948

( Cl. I'M-99) .2 Claims.

This invention relates to-r a novel pressfor performing any :klnd, of punching, stamping and bending operations on a ;.continuous ,band of sheet-metal and its 'main object 11s :-to provide a press which is .capablenf a ;.considerably greater output than the heretoforeiknowmpresses .of the kind referred .to.

.The press accordingto ithe invention is :mainly characterised :in "that .it comprises a plurality of. elementary presses .mounted in. star .formation ;on a. rotary support revolving about-1a horizontalla-xis, :in' suchzmannertthat they participate in its revolution. and-are capable. of lateral. displacements in a direction-parallel to. the axis. of revolution, feeding :meansadvancing. the :band of sheet-metal to be worked uponaalong a path comprising a curvedportion concentric-With said axis ofrevolution and imparting to said" band in said curved lportion -an angular speed equal to that of :the rotary @support and the elementary presses mounted thereon, guiding means controlling "the lateral displacements of said elementary presses so as to maintain permanently a determined number of themin acommonvertical plane in which their working tables coincide with said curved portion of the-sheet-metal band and to maintain the other elementary presses out of-thepathof-said band-andaetuating means actuating the working tools of each elementary :pressouring its passage in 1 said vertical plane.

Each elementary'piessmay of course be of any type designed- -in yiew of the accomplishment of the desired work, such as punching, punchingstamping, punching-bending, etc.

in apreferred embodiment, to-which the invention is however-not limited, the rotary multiple press further presents-one or more-of the fol-- lowing features:

'(a)' The top of the --working table of eachelementary press has the shape of a portion "of a cylindrical surface concentric with the axis of revolutiom-and the sheet-metal bandis applied by i its tension on the tables -of the elementary presses located -in the above =mentioned vertical plane which constitutes the. working zone, so that saidband is-frictionally advanced by'saicl tables, ;as faras the point where it leaves them. In :mnstmases, .xthe.'.bandiis--at any time engaged by the tools .of at least one .of .the elementary presses, :thegripping-action: of which: contributes in the correct advance of the band.

(12) The body of each elementary press is' provided withtasrollenmountedon a-verticalaxis and engaging:axfixedacamagroove the-shape of which 2 is. determinedin view of thecontrolof thelateral displacements of each elementary press.

(0) .One or .morefixed .cams are providedin the working (zone. and. cooperatelwith corresponding rollers mounted. onthe. tools. of each elementary press, for controlling-the movementsofssaid tools, eventually in combination with return springs.

Other features. and objects of .the invention willappearfrom the following. description, reference beingmade to .the accompanying drawings. in which:

Figs. ,1 and.2 show by way .oflexample. an em.- bodiment of .the press according .to the invention, Fig. 1 being a front elevation and Fig. .2.a vertical section, ata largerscale, online 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Figs..3. and .4 show-respectively in a side-,view and in a partially sectional front .view .an embodiment .of an. elementary press. adapted to vbe mounted I on .the rotary multiple press according to the. invention.

Figs. 5 is a front viewer-another embodiment of an elementary press which can-be mounted on the rotary multiple :press according to the invention.

Fig. 6. is'a side view oi-a double-acting-elementary press. also adaptedto bemounted ontherotary multiple press according to the invention.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view oftw-in presses according to the invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are plan views showing two ,examples of cuttings that-can be. made by -.twin presses in a sheet-metal. band.

Inthe embodiment shown in .Figs. 1 and 2, the rotary multiple press comprises a, frame .I, a removable bearing, support 2, and a horizontal shaft 3 rotatably mounted in bearings provided in said frameand support and driven, for example, through gears 4,5 and a pulley .6.

On a portion 3a of the-shaft 3 is-keyed a disk 1 formed-on one of-its sides with regularly spaced projections-8;]oetween which are radiallymountedthe elementary presses'for example sixteen in number, as shown atP "to P The body b of-each elementary press is slidably keyed on a central hub 9 whichis drivenby the shaft .3 through keys; 1'0. To this effect, ,eachbody b mayk have afoot portion H which is slidably engaged in a'longitudinal groove l2 forms-din the: hu b:.9.

On the other hand, .thebo'dy b of-each. elementary press has on eachside. a guide l3 which slides in a groove [-4 formed in the corresponding proj ectionsfliof thedisk 1. The slides 13 are 'hel-d in the grooves H by the front edge la of a ring l5 secured to the circumference of the disk 1.

On each sliding carriage formed by two slides 13 is mounted a roller 16 rotatable about a vertical axis and engaged in the groove ll of a cam 18 secured in any convenient manner to the machine frame I. This groove l1 acts upon the rollers IE to control the lateral movements of each press body b, in a direction parallel to the shaft 3, as it will be described hereinafter with more detail.

The working table t of each elementary press is shaped so that its top forms a portion of a cylindrical surface concentric with the shaft 3, and the groove I1 is shaped in such manner that at every moment a certain number of the elementary presses (in the shown example the seven presses P to P are located in a common vertical plane (X-X in Fig. 2), so that the tops of their tables t compose a portion of a nearly continuous cylindrical surface on which the sheet-metal band F to be worked upon is pressed, so that this band is carried along by the rotation of the tables, as far as the point where it leaves them, which is the case at the press 1? in Fig. l. The band F, which is supplied by a reel (not shown on Fig. 2 but indicated at Ed on Fig. 7), arrives for example between a pair of rollers l9 mounted on a support at the foot of the machine, passes over the tables 15 of the seven presses P to P located in the above mentioned vertical plane X-X, then descends and passes between another pair of rollers I9 and finally leaves the machine, towards an upwinding device which may be, for example, of the known friction drive type which imparts to the band a constant linear speed. The natural resistance against rotation of the supply reel (Ed) is generally sufficient to ensure an adequate tension of the band F. If this is not the case, adjustable braking means may be applied to said reel or to the rollers l9. Such means are however generally not necessary, since in most cases the tools of at least one of the elementary presses are at any time in engagement with the band F, so that the latter is advanced not only by its frictional engagement with the tables 15, but also by the gripping action of the working tools.

The groove ll of the cam I8 is further shaped in such manner that every elementary press, after passing during its revolution in the above mentioned vertical plane XX, which constitutes the working zone, is retracted with respect to said plane so as to clear the path of the sheet-metal band F. Thus, in the present example, all the elementary presses with the exception of the seven upper ones P to P", which are advanced in the above mentioned vertical working plane X-X, may be located in another common vertical plane Y-Y, to the rear of the working plane (more to the right on Fig. 2).

Apart from what has been said above relating to the working tables and the guiding means of the elementary presses, the latter may be of any type adapted to perform the desired operations, such as punching, punching-stamping, punchingbending, etc., and each of them may comprise one or more working tools.

Thus, the rotary multiple press according to the invention may be equipped with elementary punching and stamping presses of the type shown on Figs. 3 and l, in which 0 is the punching tool, 1) the die, f the work-holder and e the stripper. In this embodiment of the press, the punching tool c is integral with a slide 0 the head of which carries two rollers 20 and 2|. mounted on horizontal axes. Two fixed cams 22 and 23, mounted in the front part of the machine frame I, are adapted to cause respectively the gradual lowering and subsequent lifting of the punching tool 0, during that portion of the path followed by each elementary press which is located in the plane X--X (Fig. 2), by acting respectively upon the rollers 20 and 2|. These parts are of course designed in such manner that the work of each elementary press is finished and the formed article is ejected when the considered elementary press reaches the end of the above mentioned portion of the path (position of press P in Fig. 2). At this point are provided adequate means, such as a receiving hopper, for the evacuation of the finished articles.

The rotary multiple press of the invention may also, for example, be provided with elementary punching and stamping presses of the kind shown on Fig. 5, in which the head of the punching tool slide 0 is hingedly connected to a lever Z which is pivotally mounted on the press body I) and carries at its free end a roller 24 engaging a cam 25. In this case, the cam 25 may be double-sided, one side controlling the lowering of the tool and the other its subsequent lifting.

According to still another example, the machine according to the invention may be provided with double acting elementary presses of the type represented on Fig. 6. In this case, the slide 0 carrying the punching tool is provided with two rollers 26 upon which act two identical cams 21, while another slide 11 which carries the die, is provided with a roller 28 engaging a cam 29. The lifting of the slides c and p is effected by springs (not shown).

In addition to its great output, the multiple press according to the invention has the further advantage that it can be mounted in series with other presses of the same type, so that a plurality of multiple presses mounted one behind the other can work on the same continuously advancing sheet-metal band F, so as to use as much as possible of its surface.

As shown for example on Fig. 7, two multiple presses according to the invention can be combined to form a twin press through which is fed a sheet-metal band F unwound from the supply reel Ed and wound up on the receiving reel Be. The latter is advantageously rotated by means of a frictional drive, in such manner that the linear speed of the band F remains constant in spite of the variations of the diameter of this reel.

When each of the elementary presses mounted on these two multiple presses punches a single article out of the band F, the distance between the axes of the two machines can be determined in such manner that the holes d punched out by by the second machine are located between the holes 01 punched out by the first machine (see Fig. 8).

When each of the used elementary presses comprises a plurality of tools, for example three, the twin formation of two multiple presses may be realized in such manner that the holes (1 and d punched out respectively by each of them are judiciously interpolated (as shown on Fig. 9).

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described with reference to the drawings and that it extends equally to any other embodiment lying within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary multiple press for operating on a. continuous band of sheet material moving in an arcuate path which comprises: a frame; a rotary member rotatably supported on a horizontal axis by said frame and including a hub portion, a disc portion and a drum portion surrounding said hub portion; horizontal sets of guide elements on the outer surface of said hub portion and on the inner surface of said drum portion; a plurality of individual radial band-supporting and pressing devices slidably supported in both said sets of guide elements and disposed adjacent to each other; each of said devices including a table protruding therefrom and surrounding the end of said hub portion away from said disc portion and a cooperating pressing tool radially movable in each said device; said tables forming the sole supporting and rotating means for said band over a substantial arc of circle in said arcuate path; a first cam means on the frame for axially displacing said devices and constructed and arranged to bring said devices in supporting relation with said 2 band as the latter enters said are and to retract said devices away from the arcuate path of said band toward said drum portion and to remove said pressing tools from said path as said band 6 leaves said are; and a second cam means on the frame for radially actuating said pressing tool a1- ternatively in and out of contact with said band within said are.

2. A press as claimed in claim 1, in which the radial axis of each said pressing tool intersects said arcuate path while said devices travel over said arc.

JOSEPH PRATURLON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,559,987 Reinhardt Nov. 3, 1925 1,910,395 Kreis May 23, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 0 Number Country Date 475,765 France Mar. 25, 1915 628,125 France Oct. 19, 1927 179,718 Great Britain May 18, 1922 

